In Felicia Hemans' poem, "The Queen of Prussia's Tomb," there are several layers of performance. The poem is based on the early death of Queen Louise of Prussia at the age of thirty-five (184). Hemans acquires the subject of this poem through her friend's description in her own book, Notes and Reflections during a Ramble in Germany. I think that is important to note because it highlights an intellectual conversation between two women writers. Hemans' historical reference helps to reinforce her friends authorship, at the same time it anchors Hemans' role as researcher and reader. The epigraph is also from her friend, Milman. In this way she is supporting her fellow authors by using them as references in her own work, connecting herself and them to an "writing community." In this way, she, and her fellow authors, are performing, and in this way creating, an intellectual and writing community.
In terms of the content and subject of the poem and it's use of performance, the main character or subject is dead, but she is not described as dead. She is described as being alive, but sleeping, as if she is only "performing" death. She writes: "Lovely in perfect rest reclined,/ As one beyond the storm:/ Yet not of death, but slumber, lies/ The solemn sweetness on those eyes" (80) So it is slumber, not death that has closed the queen's eyes. Hemans' continues to present the other "roles" the queen has played, he mother in line 27 and then a military leader in 37-48. We see this "leadership" when Hemans' writes, "She slumber'd; but it came-- it came,/ Her land's redeeming hour,/ With the glad shout, and signal-flame,/ Sent on from tower to tower!/ Fast thro' the realm a spirit moved--/'Twas hers, the lofty and the loved" (81). The queen wakes from her slumber to rally her country to fight back against the tyranny of Napoleon. In death, she becomes larger than life, able to transgress barriers, perform actions, that she was not able to in life. She sanctifies the avenger's sword (line 48) and calls down the eagle of liberty (line 49) which leads her country to shake off its chains.
The obvious tension between the archetype of the avenging/inspiring queen is the notion of power amplified through death instead of power extinguished by death. The dead queen in her marble sarcophagus is more malleable this way to the potions revision and depiction than the living one. Hemans' is able then, to revise the queen into the "mother" of the nation, rallying her country's avengers, to ascend to victory and independence. Hemans' makes her mythic. In this way, the funeral mask that Hemans' creates is more visible and impressive then the one carved by the marble sculptor. Especially since it is not clear if Hemans' has every visited the queens grave. She is memorializing her through someone else's memory. Hemans' herself is performing the memory, and revising it for others. Even if her readers visit the tomb once they've read her poem, it will be Hemans' memory that will be performed in their minds. And this can only be achieved if the queen is not really dead, but only slumbering. Otherwise, the queen is only a powerless ghost.
In Felicia Hemans' poem, "The Queen of Prussia's Tomb," there are several layers of performance. The poem is based on the early death of Queen Louise of Prussia at the age of thirty-five (184). Hemans acquires the subject of this poem through her friend's description in her own book, Notes and Reflections during a Ramble in Germany. I think that is important to note because it highlights an intellectual conversation between two women writers. Hemans' historical reference helps to reinforce her friends authorship, at the same time it anchors Hemans' role as researcher and reader. The epigraph is also from her friend, Milman. In this way she is supporting her fellow authors by using them as references in her own work, connecting herself and them to an "writing community." In this way, she, and her fellow authors, are performing, and in this way creating, an intellectual and writing community.
In terms of the content and subject of the poem and it's use of performance, the main character or subject is dead, but she is not described as dead. She is described as being alive, but sleeping, as if she is only "performing" death. She writes: "Lovely in perfect rest reclined,/ As one beyond the storm:/ Yet not of death, but slumber, lies/ The solemn sweetness on those eyes" (80) So it is slumber, not death that has closed the queen's eyes. Hemans' continues to present the other "roles" the queen has played, he mother in line 27 and then a military leader in 37-48. We see this "leadership" when Hemans' writes, "She slumber'd; but it came-- it came,/ Her land's redeeming hour,/ With the glad shout, and signal-flame,/ Sent on from tower to tower!/ Fast thro' the realm a spirit moved--/'Twas hers, the lofty and the loved" (81). The queen wakes from her slumber to rally her country to fight back against the tyranny of Napoleon. In death, she becomes larger than life, able to transgress barriers, perform actions, that she was not able to in life. She sanctifies the avenger's sword (line 48) and calls down the eagle of liberty (line 49) which leads her country to shake off its chains.
The obvious tension between the archetype of the avenging/inspiring queen is the notion of power amplified through death instead of power extinguished by death. The dead queen in her marble sarcophagus is more malleable this way to the potions revision and depiction than the living one. Hemans' is able then, to revise the queen into the "mother" of the nation, rallying her country's avengers, to ascend to victory and independence. Hemans' makes her mythic. In this way, the funeral mask that Hemans' creates is more visible and impressive then the one carved by the marble sculptor. Especially since it is not clear if Hemans' has every visited the queens grave. She is memorializing her through someone else's memory. Hemans' herself is performing the memory, and revising it for others. Even if her readers visit the tomb once they've read her poem, it will be Hemans' memory that will be performed in their minds. And this can only be achieved if the queen is not really dead, but only slumbering. Otherwise, the queen is only a powerless ghost.